Wednesday October 17, 2001

At the UA women's basketball annual media day, head coach Joan Bonvicini declared the team's aspirations - a Pacific 10 Conference title.

"Our goal this year is to win the Pac-10," Bonvicini said. "We haven't done it, and we need to do it. Our goal is also to get back into the NCAA Tournament this year."

Among other goals, Bonvicini said the Wildcats must improve their half-court defense and rebounding.

"We are going to be the hardest working team in America - that's our goal," Bonvicini said. "We have a great home schedule for our fans, and we're going to be challenged early."

In the 2001 preseason Pac-10 poll, sportswriters and editors in the region projected Arizona in a tie for fifth place with Oregon.

Last season, the Wildcats finished in that same spot.

Bonvicini said the team is not discouraged by its ranking in the middle of the pack and will use the prediction to its advantage.

"That's motivation," Bonvicini said. "We feel we are a better team than that, and now it's our opportunity to prove it."

The poll projected Stanford - who finished 19-11 last season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA West Regional Final - to finish first in the Pac-10.

The Cardinal accumulated nine first-place votes.

Washington (2), USC (3), Arizona State (4), Oregon State (7), California and UCLA (8) and Washington State (10) round out the preseason poll.

"Anyone can win on any given night," said senior forward Elizabeth Pickney about games in the conference. "I don't look at rankings as a discouragement or encouragement. I'd rather be ranked low than high because it gives you something to work for."

The Wildcats return four starters to their lineup - junior Julie Brase and sophomores Aimee Grzyb and Candice Allen return at guard, while Pickney returns to the post.

Allen was named UA's Most Improved Player last year, averaging 6.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

Brase, who averaged 6.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, will be a threat behind the three-point line.

Pickney was UA's leading scorer and finished third in the conference with 16.4 points per game.

Senior LaKeisha Taylor also returns. She started 11 games last year and averaged 9.5 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game.

"We are older than we were last year and more experienced," Bonvicini said. "Even though we have a lot of new players, we have a lot of experience."

The Wildcats have a strong recruiting class once again this season, led by freshmen Desire "Dee-Dee" Wheeler and Katrina Lindner, both who expect to earn playing time at guard this season.

Wheeler averaged 27.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game her senior year in high school to lead her team to a 27-9 overall record.

Lindner - a 5-7 guard from Adelaide, South Australia - is the second foreign player to sign with Bonvicini at Arizona.

Lindner averaged 20 points and six rebounds per game for her ABA Conference team in South America.

Bonvicini said that both players are expected to make immediate contributions.

"Whatever role Coach B wants me to fill, I'm going to fill it," Wheeler said.

Arizona lost sophomore guard Jenn Chesney to an Achilles tendon tear during preseason workouts.

Chesney, who started six games last year and played in 21, was expected to play a key backup role.

"We just have to move on with(out) the players that we lost," Bonvicini said. (Jenn's) a hard worker, and we're going to miss her. This will give our new freshmen the opportunity to step up, though."

Chesney is not the first player the Wildcats have had to replace this season.

Sophomore Veranda James - UA's leading rebounder last year - left the team just after the school year started because of personal reasons.

Arizona will also start the season without guard Mandakova Clark - a transfer student from Rutgers University - who must sit out the season because of NCAA transfer policies.

As a freshman at Rutgers, Clark played in 20 games and averaged 1.6 points and .8 rebounds per game.